Medieval Armor
Fast lookup Armor Table Bla bla... Before you read all of this The Armor System was created with one goal in mind: To create a dynamic combat system. Dynamic also means complicated, unfortunately, so please understand that it was always my intention to create a simplification of the system to use on a more general level. How have I done this? The Dynamic Combat System works by requiring the attacker to select a specific body-part on his target that he wishes to strike, and each body-part will likely feature its own unique armor rating, depending on what the target is wearing. This can be incredibly difficult to keep track of, and designing the armor sets is a tedious task in its own right, so I have come up with three solutions. A Simple Attack - the Simple Attack does not target a body-part and is not penalized, but any damage is applied against the target's Static Armor. Static Armor - Static Armor is derived from the various pieces of armor that a character is wearing, and is a sort of "summarized" armor rating, affected for each limb that has weaker or stronger armor than the Torso, but drawing the bulk of its value from torso armor. Armor Sets - to bypass the incredibly complex process of piecing together a suit of armor, there are pre-made armor sets available, that already feature a Static Armor value, all of the various Dynamic Armor values and everything else you might need. Please skip past everything found below, and go right to Armor Sets if you have no other reason to read this, as it will only serve to demoralize you. Adding Armor to a Character There are a couple of terms, often measured in “Factors” that are found to be associated with the armor types, and these largely determine what changes when a character puts on the selected pieces of armor. You will notice that Armor is added in segments, meaning that each piece of armor is added individually and per limb or even half-limb that is covered. Armor Types Each armor type listed is not a suit of armor, but a type of armor that could cover any given section of the body. For example, chainmail is not a suit of armor, but a type of armor that consists of interlocking riveted rings, forming a pattern that protects the body by acting as a flexible barrier. Using the factors associated with chainmail (found further below) you can use the factor chart (found further below) to calculate what values a chainmail helmet (called a coif) might offer. Factors You fill find that each armor type doesn’t describe a suit of armor, but a particular type of armor (see “Armor Types” above), for instance, chainmail doesn’t describe a particular suit of armor, but type of armor made by interlocked riveted rings. Each Armor Type has a number of Factors, that are values that seem to describe various properties of the given armor types. These Factors are used to determine the value of your final suit, using modifiers that are found on this chart – for instance, if a player wanted to buy a chainmail helmet, the player must take 10% (for “Head”, as seen on chart below) of each factor – and these are the values of the chain-coif. DISREGARD 'THE EQUASIONS IN THE PARENTHESIS' – they are exclusively left to tell you how many of these are needed for a full-suit, and do not affect the cost of a single unit. * Half a limb is 10%. (*4) * Hands or feet are 15%. (*2 – bought in sets) * Torso is 50%. (*1) (Note: Can technically be split into front/back or lower/upper, but please don't?) * Head is 20%. (*1) * Accessories (if applicable) are 10%. (*1) * Full-Suit is 150%. Quality Values and Prices for armor found below are assumed to be of Normal Quality. Higher-, or Lower Quality Armor doesn’t affect the armor values, but does dramatically affect the Finesse Factor, Encumbrance Factor and the Price Factor. * High quality Armor’s reduce their Finesse Factor by 25% (round down), whereas Encumbrance Factor is reduced by 10% (rounded down) and finally Price Factor is doubled. * Low Quality Armor has the inverse effect. Daniel (Sami the Encumbrance Factor is pointless if we keep it at 10% it just became a fraction that will be rounded down. I recommend to make it 25%) Price Factor The Price listed defaults the value in “Gold Pieces”, which appears to be the universal standard price in all fantasy and medieval settings. However, feel free to change the currency. If you are not familiar with the rough value of a standard fantasy “Gold Piece”, please consult the book “Grain into Gold” by board enterprises. Finesse Factor Finesse Factor is essentially the analogue to “armor check penalty” in classic D20. It describes a penalty you get to certain actions, as well as your movement speed while wearing armor. Note that Gauntlets do not provide a Finesse Penalty to Combat, and can be taken off easily prior to attempting any fine-motor tasks, so it is often easier to simply discount the the Finesse Penalty of gauntlets entirely, and just have the GM impose a penalty when he feels it is applicable. Note that helmets do not impose a finesse penalty, but they almost always provide a penalty to perception, equal to -1 per head-layer worn, and -2 extra for using a visor. Note that Accessories do not count towards finesse penalty or encumbrance, and therefore the quality of accessories do not technically matter. If accessories are of low quality, assume that they will break after being targeted. Static Armor Value To calculate your Static Armor Value, you use the Torso Armor (if any) as a basis to add to, or subtract from. You cannot gain a negative Armor Value from this process, so if that is the case, do note your negative value regardless, but remember that it is effectively 0 when used in game. Start by piecing together your suit of armor, and calculate all values. Now that you have your Dynamic Armor Value and all other values, look at your Slashing Armor for your Torso, and write this down as your beginning Slashing Armor for your Static Armor Value. Each Limb that you have that has a higher Slashing Armor Rating than your Torso adds a bonus equal to the difference between the two numbers, but only a percentage of that difference (rounded down) matching the Factor Percentage found above. Each Limb that you have that has a lower Slashing Armor Rating than your Torso subtracts a penalty equal to the difference between the two numbers, but only a percentage of that difference (rounded down) matching the Factor Percentage found above. Repeat the process for the other Damage Types. You now have your Static Values! Remember that these are highly arbitrary and may not necessarily make as much sense as you may wish. Inner layer Inner Layer armor is typically padding. Armor is heavy and chafes, unless worn with some sort of padding. Modern armor, and late medieval types of armor even, features inbuilt padding, making an inner layer completely pointless, but a lot of different types of padding were also worn stand-alone by people who could not afford better equipment. Wearing any primary layer armor without padding under will double the finesse penalties! Only exception are hands and feet, which do not require padding –and in fact, it cannot be worn. Padding A padded suit is made similar to a gambeson, but much thinner, to be worn under plate armor specifically. Padded armor exists to create a buffer zone between armor and body, but mostly for sheer comfort. Coverage: Can be placed on inner layer on all body parts, except hands, feet and accessories. Does not cover face. * Slash: 2 * Thrust: 0 * Blunt: 1 * Price factor: 25. * Encumbrance Factor: 0 (5 when soaked). * Finesse factor: 0 Mid layer While originally intended as an outer-layer armor, chainmail was fast discovered to work best in between a layer of padding and a layer of something else. There is truly no other kind of medieval midlayer armor. Chainmail Chainmail, contrary to popular belief, did not go out of fashion just because plate armor was invented and was often worn as a supplement to plate armor because it was generally much more tried and true than plate armor, which was a constantly evolving science. Chainmail is extremely good armor for avoiding cuts and stabs, but unfortunately the tips of piercing weapons tend to stick through the chain-links, and even a cut that doesn’t penetrate essentially still transfers most kinetic energy to the wearer, so when a target wearing chainmail as their outermost layer are struck, they take a minimum of 1 damage. Coverage: Can be placed on mid-layer on all body parts. Optionally covers half of face or whole of face. * Slash: 10 * Thrust: 8 * Blunt: 1 * Price Factor: 250. * Encumbrance Factor: 8 * Finesse factor: 3 Outer layer The outer layer armor types combine well with aketons and chainmail. After chainmail started being replaced as the most effective armor on the market, many later armors would be so effective that the need to have an outer layer disappeared.The real reason for outer layer armor existing, was to provide some sort of hard surface that blunt weapons would clash against, and just a small extra layer to protect from thrusts, as very few thrusting weapons could actually penetrate chainmail, most of them could however easily slip their tip between the rings. Aketon The aketon is a padded armor specifically made to be worn as an outer layer. It's very thick and cannot be worn under anything. As a stand-alone armor, it's fairly decent, considering its low price. It's the go to armor for poor infantry. Coverage: Can be placed on outer-layer on all body parts, except hands, feet and accessories. Does not cover the face. * Slash: 4 * Thrust: 1 * Blunt: 2 * Price factor: 50 * Encumbrance Factor: 0 (10 when soaked) * Finesse factor: 1 Gambeson A Gambeson is an Aketon where the outer-most layers are made of leather, making it slightly more resistant, but ultimately the feature was thought of as rain protection. Gambeson functions as if wearing both Leather and Aketon on the same layer. Plate armor Plate armor is revered as the pinnacle of armor. Being clad in hardened steel plates from top to toe makes one a force of nature on the battlefield. Coverage: Can be placed on outer-layer on all body parts. Optionally covers half- or whole face. * Slash: 15 * Thrust: 5 * Blunt: 5 * Price factor: 1000. * Encumbrance Factor: 5 * Finesse factor: 5 Brigandine The brigandine is the poor man's plate armor, or the rich man's hauberk if you will - it is essentially a gambeson with metal plates riveted inside the lining. While the torso component of brigandine can be made to hang down and cover the upper legs like a skirt, it cannot reasonably be used to cover the arms or lower legs - but splintmail often used to make up the difference. Brigandine is just as flexible as chainmail on the torso, but would restrict arm- and leg movement completely if it was used normally on limbs. Coverage: Can be placed on outer-layer on torso and upper-legs. * Slash: 10. * Thrust: 4. * Blunt: 5. * Price Factor: 150. * Encumbrance Factor: 3 * Finesse factor: 3 Lamellar Armor Lamellar Armor, while different in construction and worn differently, represents the same protection value and broad applications as Brigandine and uses the exact same statistics. Splint Mail A variation of Brigandine, often used for the arms and lower legs, where real brigandine cannot cover, splint mail is essentially just thick leather greaves, vambraces or what not, covered with metal strips that are riveted unto the leather. A very effective alternative to true platemail. It shares the stats of brigandine, but has a finesse factor of 2 instead of 3, unless worn on the torso or upper-legs, in which case it acts like normal brigandine. Leather It is a common misconception that leather armor wasn’t common. Leather armor was extremely common in the medieval, or rather, leather was used in almost all armors. It is almost unthinkable to have a suit of armor, made exclusively from metal (even chainmail typically has some leather compenents) – just like it is unthinkable to have an armor made exclusively from leather (even a real leather armor would feature rivets and studs). We do know, however, that armors were sometimes fashioned from hardened leather, and testing has shown them to be moderately effective against both arrows and melee weapons – but remember that just because armor is made from leather, it still requires padding, as hardened leather chafes just as much as metal. Coverage: Can be placed on outer-layer on all body parts except Torso, on which it can be placed on the "extra" layer. Does not cover the face. * ·Slash: 1 * Thrust: 1. * Blunt: 1. * Price Factor: 50 * Encumbrance Factor: 0 * Finesse factor: 1 Light Brigantine The light brigantine is made without padding, and typically with very light-weight metal plates, very thin, riveted to a tabard or a leather jerkin which is worn over other armor. This was extremely popular back when chainmail was still the primary type of armor, because the thin metal plates provided just enough extra cover to alleviate some of the shortcomings from chainmail. Coverage: Can can be placed on the Torso, specifically on the "extra" layer. Does not cover the face. * Slash: 2 * Thrust: 2. * Blunt: 2. * Price Factor: 50 * Encumbrance Factor: 2 * Finesse factor: 2 Accessories Accessories are designed to cover gaps in the armor, or offer special advantages. Because I could produce a list of hundreds of armor accessories, I’ve instead added “accessories” as catch-all that covers the neck, throat, adds a visor to any helmet and a generally reduces gaps in armor – accessories are available in plate or chainmail – they are bought as a package deal, and the ones that apply are added. Work in progress! Armor Sets This is a list of pre-made Armor Sets. You may pay your respects at my funeral. Militia Aketon (chest and arms), Chainmail (head), padded (legs, and head), open-faced helmet, Accessories and gauntlets. Head: 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Torso: 4/1/2 Arms (Upper): 4/1/2 Arms (Lower): 4/1/2 Legs (Upper): 2/0/1 - 4/1/2 (6/1/3) Legs (Lower): 2/0/1 Hands: 15/5/5 Feet: 1/1/1 Accessories: 15/5/5 Finesse: 2 Encumbrance: Price: Man-at-Arms Padding (full), chain-mail (full), open-faced helmet, accessories and gauntlets. Head: 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Torso: 2/0/1 10/8/1 (12/8/2) Arms (Upper): 2/0/1 10/8/1 (12/8/2) Arms (Lower): 2/0/1 10/8/1 (12/8/2) Legs (Upper): 2/0/1 10/8/1 (12/8/2) Legs (Lower: 2/0/1 10/8/1 (12/8/2) Hands: 15/5/5 Feet: 1/1/1 Accessories: 15/5/5 Finesse: 4 Encumbrance: Price: Conquistador Padding (full), Platemail (torso), chainmail (head), open-faced helmet, accessories and gauntlets Head: 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Torso: 2/0/1 15/5/5 (17/5/6) Arms (Upper): 2/0/1 Arms (Lower): 2/0/1 Legs (Upper): 2/0/1 Legs (Lower: 2/0/1 Hands: 15/5/5 Feet: 1/1/1 Accessories: 15/5/5 Finesse: 3 Encumbrance: Price: Heavy Infantry Padding (full), chainmail (full), Brigandine (chest, half-legs), Plate (Upper Arm), open-faced helmet accessories and gauntlets. Head: 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Torso: 2/0/1 10/8/1 10/2/5 (22/10/8) Arms (Upper): 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Arms (Lower): 2/0/1 10/8/1 (12/8/2) Legs (Upper): 2/0/1 10/8/1 10/2/5 (22/10/8) Legs (Lower: 2/0/1 10/8/1 (12/8/2) Hands: 15/5/5 Feet: 1/1/1 Accessories: 15/5/5 Finesse: Encumbrance: Price: Footknight Padding (full), chainmail (full), Brigandine (chest, half-legs), Plate (arms, lower legs), open-faced helmet accessories and gauntlets. Head: 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Torso: 2/0/1 10/8/1 10/2/5 (22/10/8) Arms (Upper): 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Arms (Lower): 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Legs (Upper): 2/0/1 10/8/1 10/2/5 (22/10/8) Legs (Lower: 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Hands: 15/5/5 Feet: 1/1/1 Accessories: 15/5/5 Finesse: Encumbrance: Price Field Plate Padding (full), Platemail (torso, half-arms, half-legs), chainmail (full), open-faced helmet, accessories and gauntlets Head: 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Torso: 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Arms (Upper): 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Arms (Lower): 2/0/1 10/8/1 (12/8/2) Legs (Upper): 2/0/1 10/8/1 (12/8/2) Legs (Lower: 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Hands: 15/5/5 Feet: 1/1/1 Accessories: 15/5/5 Finesse: Encumbrance: Price: Dueling plate Padding (full), plate armor (full), visored helmet, accessories, gauntlets and sabatons. Head: 2/0/1 - 15/5/5 (17/5/6) Torso: 2/0/1 - 15/5/5 (17/5/6) Arms (Upper): 2/0/1 - 15/5/5 (17/5/6) Arms (Lower): 2/0/1 - 15/5/5 (17/5/6) Legs (Upper): 2/0/1 - 15/5/5 (17/5/6) Legs (Lower): 2/0/1 - 15/5/5 (17/5/6) Hands: 15/5/5 Feet: 15/5/5 Accessories: 15/5/5 Finesse: Encumbrance: Price: Combat Plate Padding (full), chainmail (full), Plate armor (full), visored helmet, accessories, gauntlets and sabatons. Head: 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Torso: 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Arms (Upper): 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Arms (Lower): 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Legs (Upper): 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Legs (Lower: 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Hands: 15/5/5 Feet: 15/5/5 Accessories: 15/5/5 Finesse: Encumbrance: Price: Heavy Plate Padding (full), chainmail (full), Plate armor (full), Light Brigandine (chest), visored helmet, accessories, gauntlets and sabatons. Head: 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Torso: 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 2/2/2 (29/15/9) Arms (Upper): 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Arms (Lower): 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Legs (Upper): 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Legs (Lower: 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Hands: 15/5/5 Feet: 15/5/5 Accessories: 15/5/5 Finesse: Encumbrance: Price: Adventurer Padding (full), chainmail (head, torso, arms, half-legs), plate (half legs, half arms), open-faced helmet, accessories and gauntlets. Head: 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Torso: 2/0/1 10/8/1 (12/8/2) Arms (Upper): 2/0/1 10/8/1 15/5/5 (27/13/7) Arms (Lower): 2/0/1 10/8/1 (12/8/2) Legs (Upper): 2/0/1 10/8/1 (12/8/2) Legs (Lower: 2/0/1 15/5/5 (17/5/6) Hands: 15/5/5 Feet: 1/1/1 Accessories: 15/5/5 Finesse: Encumbrance: Price: